Ehlenz (age 31): Brad and I have wanted to open a restaurant with really good food but not that sticker shock. We also wanted to stay in the suburbs and we love Stillwater.

One day when I was managing at Smalley’s Caribbean Barbecue (in Stillwater), I noticed there was a “for rent” sign on the Peaslee Building. The space is small — 1,500 square feet, and that includes the kitchen, the bar, everything. With space restraints, we had to change our whole concept.

The word “Lolo” came from Brad’s time living in Hawaii. The locals used to refer to being crazy as “lolo.” Then we did a little research and found out “lolo” also means a Caribbean seaside shack where locals go for good food and hospitality.

So, we turned it into the tagline: “locally owned, locally operated.”

Because the space is small, the menu turned into small plates of mostly street food.

Why small plates?

Ehlenz:When people go out, they like to sample as much as possible. I think life’s too short to be limited to one entree. It’s better to sample as much as you can and share it with friends and family.

In this limited space, we don’t have room to store a lot of food. We get daily deliveries of ingredients, and we cook it that day and serve it that day.

Everything is fresh at the bar, too. All the spirits are very exclusive, high-end and local when possible.

(Editor’s note: Ehlenz turned over the rest of the interview to Nordeen, the chef, at this point.)

When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Nordeen (age 36): A baseball player. I played a little bit when I was a kid.

What was your first job in food?

When I was 14, I was a cook and dishwasher at Trump’s here in Stillwater.

How did you wind up in the restaurant business for good?

After a few years working in different kitchens, I went to college and worked at restaurants to pay my way. I was getting a business degree and realized I could apply it to what I was doing and enjoying at the time: being a chef. I like the challenge — every day there’s something new, and there’s always that striving to get better.

I lived and worked in Hawaii for a year. Then I came back to the Twin Cities and got a job at 112 Eatery in Minneapolis. Owner and executive chef Isaac Becker’s dedication there re-energized me. Since then, I’ve been on a mission to make good food.

What’s your first food memory?

My grandma making lunch for me. It was always fresh, homemade. It was standard Minnesota food, nothing fancy, but I think that influences how I cook. Food doesn’t have to be fancy, just good ingredients made with TLC.

What’s your favorite dish on the new menu?

The hangar steak tacos. The meat is Korean barbecue marinated then seared and topped with lemon-grass aioli, Napa cabbage and sweet-and-sour pickles.

What’s your favorite restaurant?

Bar La Grassa in Minneapolis. I love the ambience, the vibe, the quality of the food. You can pay a lot for some stuff and it’s going to be high quality, but you also can go in there and eat relatively inexpensively, and it’s good. The place is so laid back. Whether you’re in jeans or a suit and tie, you’re going to feel like you fit in.

What’s something few people know about you?

When I’m not at work, I completely turn it off. When I leave, there’s another side to life, and you have to enjoy it. It can’t be all about work. You have to separate the two.

What’s your guilty pleasure food?

Salted caramel ice cream.

What’s next?

Get this off the ground, and if it’s successful, we’ll look at doing another one, maybe bring great food and drink to another area of the Twin Cities.

Jess Fleming has been with the Pioneer Press since 1999, and has been covering the Eat beat since 2012. She is an adventurous eater, cook and gardener, but will only grow something she can eat. She is a graduate of the journalism school at the University of Minnesota and a native of Eastern Wisconsin, where she grew up eating good brats, good cheese and fresh vegetables from her dad’s garden.

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